On 15 July 2016 a deadly coup attempt by Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) was foiled by the Turkish nation, which took 265 lives and left 1400 people injured. Defected jets were flying low in Ankara to cause fear amongst the people and simultaneously Turkish Parliament was bombed and civilians were brutally killed by helicopter firing on the famous Bosphorus bridge which was flying Turkish flags at half mast in solidarity with the martyred children of Army Public School Peshawar day after on 17 December 2014.
In a fatal attempt on the freedom of media the Turkish state news agency TRT headquarters were invaded and a woman newscaster was forced to read the defeated coup message. On another hand a defected helicopter fired shots on Turkish satellite installations to block the media waves.
Mr. Ali Sahin, Deputy Minister for EU Affairs and alumnus of Karachi University in my first conversation with him in middle of the chaos told me that he barely escaped death and survived the bomb blasts in Parliament where he was taking shelter with his wife and young children.
Turkey is my second home and I want my nation to know that the misconceptions about the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are hatched by his friends turned foes, the Gulenists FETO who have taken political and financial advantages under the umbrella of his foreign policy. They are operating in Pakistan under the skin of Pak-Turk schools and Rumi Forum.
The disposable conspiracies of gulenists FETO itself liberates him towards the popularity amongst masses around the world. The global clash of secularism and Islamism has an example of an ideal working relationship of nationalism and social welfare in Turkey for the Islamic world to follow. President Erdogan has clear objectives to achieve with absolute adherence to the virtues of democracy and the rule of law.
Late Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan, 54th Prime Minister of Turkey opposed Fethullah Gulen from day one. He predicted this tragedy coming from FETO. No one cared to listen to him but in this testing time despite opposition to the ruling party in Turkey, 15 of Dr Erbakan’s followers laid their lives in the way of Democracy.
The world order however is opposed to emerging powers in the Middle East that President Erdogan sensed a while ago and took the initiative to mend Turkey’s foreign relations with Israel and Russia.
FETO opposed President Erdogan when he voiced his support for the democratically elected Government of Egypt. FETO also opposed President Erdogan’s stance to suspend ties with Israel after the incident of Freedom flotilla bound for Gaza, Palestine.
All those involved shall be tried in courts on charges of high treason. The opposition parties CHP (Secularist/Kemalist) and MHP (Nationalist) in the parliament came together to the defence of democracy against the Coup and people came out in large numbers around the country over the call of President Erdogan.
The United States of America has given a cold shoulder to its NATO ally in the Middle East and this comes as a bad omen to US relations with the Islamic world as Turkey is spearheading the sentiments of the majority of Muslims in developing countries. Despite the strained diplomacy US-Turkey ties are important to fight DAESH that is a direct threat to global peace.
US policy makers have to steer the tides of its approach towards Turkey and pay heed to their rightful demands to strengthen the historic relations between US and Turkey.
US Vice President Joe Biden in his remarks while visiting Turkey said that he regretted not being able to visit Turkey soon after the defeated coup and that United States stands by Turkey as its most trusted ally in the Middle East.
The Turkish nation holds Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Punjab in high regard. The President and his cabinet have a sense of gratitude for the Pakistani leadership to have supported Turkey against the defeated coup of FETO that has not been reciprocated so far despite the visit of Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Minister of Turkey.
Imran Khan, Chairman PTI also expressed concerns which was a tacit support tendered to the Gulenists FETO in Pakistan however after Turkish Ambassador intervened and gave assurances he changed his stance.
The Turkish Embassy in Islamabad has played a vital role by engaging media and the parliament of Pakistan to address the issues raised by the Turkish Government with Pakistan to seize FETO operating from Pakistan.
The Turkish leadership stressed upon Chief Minister Punjab in his recent visit to Turkey to take action against the creeping FETO in Pakistan. In a statement CM Punjab said that Pakistani educationists have replaced the FETO institutions and their boards but I believe that they are Pakistani faces of FETO and the leadership of Pakistan must not take it for granted. CM Punjab must take corrective measures in the light of his vow “Turkey’s enemy is Pakistan’s enemy, and Erdogan’s enemy is my enemy!”
FETO in Pakistan has given sponsored tours of Turkey to scores of Pakistani leaders from different walks of life. So far the statements issued by the Government of Pakistan has not explicitly mentioned FETO instead only a lip service in a generaliaed way. There is a gross need to protect the interests of our friendship with Turkey and do not turn a blind eye towards them.
Turkey has been providing development aid to Pakistan since 2004. The total amount of “Official Development Aid” allocated to Pakistan between 2004-2013 reached to 724.48 milllion USD. Turkey and Pakistan have signed a Free Trade Agreement on 22 March 2016.
The Turkish Cooperation Agency has completed 92 social welfare projects until 2015 in Pakistan including the Recep Tayyip Erdogan hospital in Muzaffargarh. The Consulate General of Turkey in Lahore is going to be operational soon. The ties between military and civilian armed forces are growing by leaps and bounds.
We as Pakistani nation must reaffirm our resolve to support the Turkish Nation and legitimate, democratically elected President Erdogan in this testing time for the Government of Turkey.
Long live Pakistan-Turkey friendship.